Meet The Singapore Creatives Driving Cultural Projects With Impact
These nine social and creative initiatives are charging ahead with heaps of passion and drive.
By Noelle Loh,
As a proudly Singapore title, celebrating our country and its people is intrinsic to us. There also happens to be a heck lot for us to be excited about these days. The initiatives spotlighted in the August 2024 Passion Edition are to us among the best representatives today of how we’re growing into a truly world‐class creative city with our very own identity. All were set up no earlier than 2021 (many of them more recently), yet all have added indelibly to not just our cultural calendar, but also our cultural fabric and cachet with their ambition, daring, community‐mindedness, persistence and purposefulness.
They strive not just for themselves, but also for all of us – it would explain the number of lives they’ve touched and drawn into their circles, no matter how new, small or indie some of them might be. Not all are passion projects, but passion has played an immense part in driving their founders to put their money where their mouths are. Here’s hoping that more of us will do the same.
CASUAL POET LIBRARY
Even before it officially opens on August 5, Casual Poet Library has garnered much press and fanfare for its unconventional model of spreading the love for the written word: a community-run communal library where one can rent a shelf and share their own treasure trove of books. Its founder, photographer Rebecca Toh, tells us in her own words the story of how she turned her dream – one shared by many – into reality and how it could usher in new ways of thinking and doing in Singapore.
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AN ASYLUM
To help emerging designers realise their creative vision while navigating the challenges of sustaining in Singapore, the founders of An Asylum, one of the most under-the-radar fashion labels here, have been putting their own time and money into running one of the most intimate – and meaningful – residency programmes around.
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NEW BAHRU
Even before it’s set to open officially next year, New Bahru has become the most talked‐about and visited new lifestyle destination we’ve had in decades for its ambitious concept: A sophisticated cultural playground to discover and support made‐in‐Singapore creative businesses spanning F&B to fashion. Here’s why its success means a win for all.
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THE FRUIT BASKET
Launched in 2022, The Fruit Basket, an incubation programme started and self‐funded by Singapore drag and burlesque performer Lychee Bye to teach the craft and culture of drag to newbies, has undoubtedly helped fuel the momentum in the burgeoning drag scene.
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HEAR ME UP
Singer-musician Shye launched HearMeUp in 2022 with the goal of discovering new acts and offering them a platform to play a public show and share their music with others. To date, it has introduced a total of five acts that were selected from more than 120 applicants who wrote in during the programme’s open call.
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ALT-GPS
Zachary Desker's passion project, alt-gps, aims to transform Singapore’s underground music scene into a tourist attraction. Independently owned and self-funded, the initiative supports local musicians and bedroom DJs by providing AI-backed video production and marketing assistance.
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SHRUB
Shrub, the cult Gen Z-owned indie design store at Golden Mile Tower, is set for a reboot in the hopes of becoming more commercially viable. What won’t change: its founder Fern Teo's support for local independent artists.
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LUCKY HALL
This six-month-old venture where young creatives can stage events is the main event for offering not just a free space, but also advice, contacts and collaborators that can help them to put on a good show. Soon, the curtains will come down on it yet it’s never been written about – until now. Its founder Chris Shearmon shares more insights and tips on creating meaningful events.
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PROUD SPACES
For the first time, the LGBTQIA+ community in Singapore has a permanent, physical space where they can head to any time of the year to seek both advice and solace, network, attend activities that educate and empower them, and even stage their own.
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